St Andrews Museum Fife Exhibits & Access

St Andrews Museum, St Andrews, Scotland

The History of St Andrews at the St Andrews Museum

The St Andrews Museum in St Andrews, Scotland is housed in a Victorian mansion within the lovely grounds of Kinburn Park.

The main focus of the museum is the history, culture and economy of the town of St Andrews itself.

Exhibits on display at the museum. — Exhibits on display at the museum

Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business. — Goods From Japan delivered to your home or business

Wall panels explain the history of St Andrews. — Wall panels explain the history of St Andrews

Exhibits

The museum explains the importance of St Andrews in the history of Scotland. The town was an important port for both fishing and trading as well as an ancient academic and religious center.

Wall panels and exhibits in glass cases reveal how St Andrews was connected to the rest of Europe and the wider world.

The university in St Andrews is the oldest in Scotland (founded in 1413) and only the universities in Cambridge and Oxford in England are older.

Also on display is a collection of pilgrim badges from the medieval period. These include a 15th century badge of St Andrew found in excavations in 1989 near St Andrews Castle and a scallop shaped badge of St James from Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

As well as the permanent collection, the museum also hosts temporary exhibitions.

The axe was used for executing criminals in St Andrews. — The axe was used for executing criminals in St Andrews in the 17th century

Access & Hours

St Andrews Museum
Kinburn Park, Doubledykes Road
St Andrews, Fife KY16 9DP
Tel: 01334 412690
www: onfife.com/venues/st-andrews-museum

Open April to September. 10.30 am to 4 pm from Monday to Saturday.

Admission is free.

The grounds include a pleasant garden and a bowling green. A statue of General Sikorski, the Commander-in-Chief of Polish armed forces during World War II, lies within the grounds.

Large numbers of Polish soldiers were stationed in the city and surrounding areas during the war.

The former Prime Minister of Poland died in a plane crash in 1943 off Gibraltar in mysterious circumstances. The statue is a sculpted bust of the general, on top of a stone pedestal. It also features the Polish emblem in red and white.

The museum has a small cafe selling a range of refreshments on donation and a shop where visitors can buy replicas of pilgrim badges and other items.

Relax and chill out at the museum. — Relax and chill out at the museum

Getting To St Andrews

The nearest railway station to St Andrews is Leuchars, which is about 10 km from the town. It is on the Edinburgh to Dundee line and Edinburgh to Aberdeen line from Edinburgh Waverley Station and Edinburgh Haymarket. There are bus and taxi connections from Leuchars to St Andrews.

The Caledonian Sleeper service runs from London Euston to Leuchars overnight six days a week, Sunday to Friday.

The Highland route runs between Fort William, Inverness or Aberdeen and London Euston. The Highland trains join at Edinburgh Waverley and continue to London. The Aberdeen to Edinburgh Waverley Highland train stops at Stonehaven, Montrose, Arbroath, Carnoustie, Dundee, Leuchars (for St Andrews), Kirkcaldy, as well as Inverkeithing, and Edinburgh Waverley.

Dundee Station on South Union Street has trains to London King's Cross Station in London from Aberdeen via Edinburgh, Newcastle and York Station in York as well as more local ScotRail trains to Glasgow Queen Street in Glasgow via Perth and Stirling as well as connections south to Edinburgh Waverley Station in Edinburgh.

There are frequent buses to and from Dundee from St Andrews via Leuchars. The #99, #99A, the #99B, the #99C, and #99D all connect the two cities. Leuchars to St Andrews by bus takes about 15 minutes.

There are Stagecoach buses running between St Andrews and Edinburgh. These are the X58, X59 and X60 services (about two hours) Stagecoach also operates the X24, X26 and X27 buses to Glasgow (about two and a half hours).

Edinburgh Airport is the nearest airport with direct shuttle buses to St Andrews. There are also trains to Leuchars from Edinburgh Gateway Station a short tram ride or bus (100 Airlink) ride from Edinburgh Airport.

Accommodation

If you wish to stay in St Andrews try the Fairmont St Andrews, with five stars and views of the St Andrews Bay. The hotel also boasts a spa and a pool.

Also recommended are the budget Ardgowan Hotel located in a Georgian terrace and Rusacks St Andrews, overlooking the Old Course.

Old Course Hotel St Andrews overlooks West Sands Beach and the Links Golf Course. Enjoy its Kohler Waters Spa, which offers luxury spa treatments, a hydrotherapy pool, experience showers and cold plunge pool.

Hotel Du Vin St Andrews on The Scores offers a French-style bistro and bar.

Kinnettles Hotel & Spa offers an à la carte restaurant amid five-star luxury.

See a listing of hotels in St Andrews.

Bust of General Sikorski in St Andrews. — Bust of General Sikorski in Kinburn Park, St Andrews

St Andrews Attractions

St Andrews Castle, the ruined St Andrews Cathedral, St Andrews aquarium, the Wardlaw Museum, Holy Trinity Church, the R&A World Golf Museum and, of course, St Andrews University are major attractions in the city.

Many visitors, especially from the USA, also come to play the Old Course, the home of golf.